A love story
by Karen1111
Summary: Serena comes back during the summer holidays after her first year at Brown for her mum's wedding to Rufus. But when Blair decides to play matchmaker between her and Nate, what happens?
1. Just a visit

"Serena." Lily called to her daughter.

"Coming." Serena replied, putting on her shoes. It was her mother's fifth wedding day. This time to Rufus. It was the summer after her first year at Brown, and she really liked it there. But she couldn't miss this. Although her mother had been married four times before she was actually in love this time.

When she had buckled her shoe she ran down the stairs. When she saw her mother she smiled. Lily looked beautiful, but she always did on her wedding days. But this was time was different, when she smiled it wasn't her ever practiced fake smiles, but one that lit up her whole face. Serena smiled back and saw Jenny sitting on the couch.

It was Jenny who had made the dresses. And Serena had to admit they are wonderful. Her's and Jenny's dress were light blue and billowed out whenever they walked. It was the first time that she had worn a non-designer dress to a wedding. But Jenny had a promising career in front of her, so it soon would be.

She had only arrived last night so the wedding was the first time she would see everyone. Blair and Chuck, who by some miracle hadn't killed each other yet, Nate and Vanessa, Eric, Dan and everyone. There were of course some people she wasn't looking forward to seeing but she just wouldn't bother with them.

"Mum, you look amazing." Serena said.

"Thank you." Lily replied.

"So how's Rufus handling the fact he has to have a society wedding?" Serena said.

"He's taking it well. He's getting used to it now." Lily said with a slight smile in her face, remembering how awkward he was when he had first went to a society event.

"Lily, the cars are here." Jenny said.

The three of them got into the lift. When it reached the ground floor they all got out. Jenny helped with Mum's dress. Serena smiled, Jenny was really nice and about to become my sister. It felt odd that her ex-boyfriend's family was about to become her family but she and Dan had decided to just forget the past and be happy for their parents.

When Serena looked at her mother it was hard not to be happy for her. She had never seen her mother so happy. Serena got into the limo and sat next to Jenny.

"So how are you feeling?" Jenny asked Lily.

"Nervous." Lily said.

"You'll be fine." Jenny said.

When they arrived at the wedding venue, the three girls all smiled at each other. Jenny and Serena got out first, then they helped Lily out.

The wedding planner walked up to them.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

Lily nodded.

"OK, the girls go down the aisle first followed by you." He said then walked off to check something with the caters.

They heard the music begin, so Jenny and Serena smiled at each other. With one last glance of encouragement at her mother Serena followed Jenny up the aisle praying that she wouldn't fall. When they had both the alter they turned around and watched as Lily walked up.

When she got up the alter Serena took the flowers from her. She glanced behind Lily and Rufus and rested her eyes upon her little brother. They both smiled at each other. When the ceremony was ended they all walked towards the hall. Serena caught up with Eric and hugged him.

"Hey how's my favourite little brother?" she joked.

"I'm your only little brother." He replied.

They both smiled when the photographer came up.

"So, do you think fifth time's the last time?" Serena said.

"Yeah it seems different somehow this time." Eric said.

"I know." Serena said. "I've got to go see someone."

With that she left her brother's side and went to find Blair. It didn't take her long.

"S!" Blair said upon seeing her friend.

"B." Serena replied hugging her "How are you?"

"I'm fine. I've missed you though." Blair said lifting a glass of champagne from one of the tables.

"I've missed you too. It was so weird at Brown with none of you there." Serena said.

"And NYU, isn't as bad as I thought it'd be. It's no yale but it isn't exceptionally bad." Blair giggled.

"I can't believe how much you've grown up in a year." Serena said looking at her best friend.

"I know. But I was always the more mature one." Blair joked.

Serena pretended to push Blair. "So, how are you and Chuck doing?"

Blair smiled "Great, he's stopped being sooo..."

"Chuck." Serena said laughing.

"I was going to say arrogant, well he still is but less so now."

"I'm happy for you B." Serena said honestly.

"Thanks. So have you found anyone new?" Blair said.

Serena shook her head. "No. I have had lots of dates but no real relationship."

"S, I think I know the perfect person for you." Blair said.

"No Blair." Serena said, but Blair had already disappeared.

Nate was the next person she seen.

"Hey, where's Vanessa?" Serena asked.

"We broke up." Replied Nate.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Serena said.

"It's OK." Nate said.

Serena then noticed Blair looking at them with a glint in her eyes. Then realisation sunk in.

"Excuse me." Serena said and walked up to her best friend. "Whatever you're planning stop now!"

"Me, planning something? Well I have no idea, what you mean." Blair said and walked away.

Serena was going to go and say something else but she was then called to go get photos taken. She sighed and turned around praying that Blair wouldn't do anything, but knowing that in true Blair Waldorf style, she would.


	2. The start of Blair's plan

Serena got a text from Blair to meet her in a cafe not that far from her house. When she got there she spotted Nate.

"B, I'm going to kill you." She thought then made her way up to Nate. "Hey."

"Hi, I got a text from Blair to meet her here, have you seen her?"

"No, but I got the same text." She said sitting down.

After ten minutes Blair and Chuck came in.

"Hello." Blair said.

"Hi." Serena replied, with a silent warning to Blair to stop whatever plan she had.

"Listen, me and Chuck were going to go to Spain at the weekend. Do you two want to come?" Blair said an innocent smile on her face.

Serena knew right away why her best friend had suggested this.

"I need to go to the restroom." She said hoping Blair would follow.

"I'll go with you." Blair said.

When they got there, Serena turned to Blair "So Spain?"

"Well it's nice this time of year." Blair said.

"Just me, Nate and you and Chuck." Serena said.

"Yes, that's who's going." Blair replied.

"Blair, we both what you're trying to do. Please just give it up."

"I have no idea what you mean S." Blair said. If Serena didn't know her so well she would have believed her with how good her acting is.

"Just give it up." Serena said walking out.

When they both got back to the table they sat down.

"I think Spain's a good idea." Nate said. "It'll be good to get away. And it has been a while since we all went somewhere just us four."

It was then that Blair's eyes lit up again "Yeah, don't you think Serena, you don't want to be the only one to say no do you?"

Serena smiled and admitted defeat, after all a holiday in Spain, couldn't be all that bad right?

"I guess it sounds OK."

"Great, well I think we should leave on Saturday, which gives us three days to get everything ready."

When Serena walked back into her home she found her mum, Rufus, Dan, Jenny and Eric.

"How was lunch?" Lily asked.

"Good, but I'm going to Spain at the weekend." She replied.

"Who with?" Lily asked.

"Blair, Chuck and Nate." Serena said.

Eric was trying not to laugh as Serena had told him earlier that Blair was planning something to do with her and Nate.

"Well we're just going." Lily said gesturing to the suitcases.

"Have fun." Serena said hugging her mum.

When they had left she took the seat next to her brother. "I am going to kill Blair."

"What did she do now?" asked Jenny.

"She's playing matchmaker." Serena said.

"With who?" Jenny giggled.

"Nate." Serena said. "She so tricked me into saying yes to this stupid holiday."

"Tricked you?" Eric questioned.

"Yes, she made sure there was no way that I could say no, without having to explain why." Serena said with slight resentment towards her best friend.

"Are you going?" asked Dan.

"I have too."

"But you were meant t help me watch these two." He said.

"They're old enough to watch themselves besides Eric's a pro at being home without parents." Serena said.

There was no denying that she and Lily had gotten closer over the last year, but there still a part of Serena that was still silently angry at Lily for how many times she had left her and Eric. When she looked up she saw Eric looking at her as if guessing that she was still resentful.

Dan and Jenny however did not get the significance of the statement and were looking between the two siblings who were sharing a knowing look.

When Eric noticed that the other two were confused he quickly changed the subject to something that had happened at school on the last week.

Serena wasn't entirely listening to them, she was too preoccupied with trying to find ways to survive the holiday and stop Blair's plan.

And any smart upper east-siders new that when Blair Waldorf had an idea, it was almost impossible to stop her.


	3. Hello Spain

Serena wheeled her suitcase behind her, up to the Bass private jet. When she got there she looked up and seen that she was the last one there. Serena knew that Blair, true to form would be there on time, and as such would have made sure that Chuck was also there on time. If there was one thing Blair hated it was being late.

"Why are you so late?" Blair asked.

"Blair, I'm two minutes late." Serena said.

"Still." Blair said.

"I had a bit of trouble convincing Dan that Jenny and Eric were more than capable of looking after themselves." She replied.

Blair rolled her eyes "When will he learn? Most of us were left alone at that age."

"That's what I tried to explain." Serena said.

"Can't he look after them?" Blair said while getting Nate to put Serena's case on the plane.

"He's working." Serena said.

Blair rolled her eyes again "I suppose he would do something like that. He's just that boring. You ready?"

"Yep, Espagna here we come." Serena giggled.

The four friends all got onto the plane and were all excited about this holiday in different ways. Chuck got away from the business, Nate got a holiday that he needed, Serena got to spend time with everyone she missed and Blair got to put her plan into action. There was nothing she loved more than being right or having a plan work out perfectly. She looked out the window and saw New York getting smaller and smaller. She smiled knowing that soon her plan would start.

"Serena, how was it in brown?" Nate asked.

"Good, there was a time when I got thought I wouldn't get there and now I love it." She said. "The only bad thing was that you guys weren't there."

"S, did you miss us all." Blair said a glint appearing in her eyes, she couldn't resist it after Serena said that.

"Yes, I missed you all. How's your course?"

"Fine. I'm used to it now." She said, with her eyes telling Serena she wasn't done with this.

Nate and Chuck sat oblivious to the fact that there was a silent conversation going on between the two girls and were talking about a football game they had gone to see at the weekend. Everyone thought it was nice that they could all hang out again. It had been a while since they had done so, without any fights, silent feuds pretending to get along. For the first time in a while, the four of them were actually getting along. And they all liked it. They had forgotten how much they enjoyed just being friends. Hanging out, minus all the animosity.

"Guys were nearly there." Said Blair.

They were all surprised as it hadn't seemed that long since they had got on the plane. But as the plane landed they looked out the window and saw the beach below them, and the sun shining down.

"I love Spain." Serena said.

"We know." Said Blair, joking with her friend. "At least you can't get grounded this time."

"Ha, ha." Said Serena dryly.

Once they arrived at the hotel and got their rooms Blair started to talk.

"So me and Chuck are going to go and see a film, so you two will be alone for dinner, is that OK?" she said.

"Yeah, that's fine." Nate said.

"Great." Blair's lit up "I felt bad that we were leaving you so I already booked at a table at a restaurant, the driver knows where to take you. Bye." She said leaving before Serena or Nate could question her.

Nate turned to Serena "Think she's planning something?"

"It's Blair."

"Fair point." Nate said. "But I suppose we should get changed then head out to dinner."

They both went to their rooms. Nate chose a simple white shirt and black trousers, while Serena picked out a light blue summer dress with silver high heels. When she walked downstairs, she couldn't help the butterflies that appeared in her stomach. She smiled at Nate when he saw her.

"You look lovely." Nate said.

"Thanks." Serena blushed.

They both walked towards the car, when they got to the restaurant Nate linked his arms with Serena's. When they walked in they saw that the restaurant was very intimate. With everything decorated in pinks and reds and close together.

"I am going to kill Blair." Serena thought.


	4. Another plan?

"Thanks." Serena smiled at the waiter, making him smile back as he filled her glass of white wine up.

"So what are we going to do now?" Nate asked.

"Kill Blair?"

"So you've been saying all night." Nate laughed.

"And I'll keep saying in until you agree." Serena replied in mock serious before bursting out laughing. "OK so no, that's not was I thinking."

"Care to enlighten me, as to what you're genius plan is?" Nate raised one of his eyebrows at the devious smile that washed across his companion.

"Well, how good are you're acting skills?" Serena said leaning across the table.

"Their OK." Came Nate's hesitant reply. He couldn't work out where she was going with this, and he wasn't exactly sure if that was a good thing or not. He began to feel quite anxious at her moments silence.

"Well she clearly wants us to get together right. I mean look around you."

Nate looked around and nodded "We pretend to be together and get her off her backs." His voice was confident portraying the fact he now understood what was happening.

"What? No." Laughed Serena.

"OK, now I'm confused again."

"We pretend that we had a huge fight and that now we're not talking to each other. Show her once and for all that sometimes, her plans don't always work out, and that sometimes the subjects of her plans would prefer not to be part of her plan." Serena said all of it coming out in one long breath.

"You know it's good to breathe right? Anyway how are we going to convince Blaire Waldorf that we're mad at each other? She knows us too well."

"But we also know her." Serena pointed out. "All we have to do is figure out what she's going to do next."

"You really want to examine, the logic of Blair."

"I don't think we have another option." Shrugged Serena. "Besides it should be fun to see where she goes with this."

"Fun? Are you sure we're thinking of the same person?"

"Blair's harmless really." Serena said "Besides she won't kill us until she gets us together so she can say I told you so."

Nate laughed and glanced at the clock, it was nine O clock, and just then his phone went off. He flipped it open.

"Hey." He said mouthing the word Chuck to Serena. "Uh huh... No we understand... See you then... Bye." Nate flipped the phone back down and turned back to Serena "Blair and Chuck are tired and decided to stay in a hotel for the night."

"She couldn't come up with anything better than that?"

"She's on holiday, her minds not working like normal." Nate said trying to come up with why Blair and Chuck of all people had just came up with such a terrible lie.

Serena laughed "No, she's on a holiday that she engineered so that we spent as much time as possible together."

"Shall we head back to the hotel?" Nate asked.

"Sure." Serena replied grabbing her bag, after the check was paid they both headed towards the car that had dropped them off. Nate opened the door for Serena, and she felt another round of butterflies in her stomach. She was it was relatively dark as it masked the rouge that was now covering her cheeks.

Watching the scenes outside the window go flooding by Serena went into her own thoughts. "That wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. And I forgot how much I got along with Nate. Things with always seemed to go... naturally. We don't need anything to start conversations, most of the time we know what the other's thinking. And he has such an amazing smile! Seeing it just wants to make me smile. And I always seem to get butterflies around him. What if Blair wasn't wrong? What if something was there? It would be wrong to ignore it right? No there's nothing there, there's not. There can't be right?" by the end of her inner musings even she wasn't sure what she thought.

On the other side of the car Nate was having a similar dilemma. "Sure the room seems to brighten when she's there, but that could just be a coincidence, or the fact we've been friends for ages. But then there's nothing when Blair or Chuck comes in, and I've know them for as long as I've known Serena. And I can't deny the fact I want to smile when she does, or laugh when she does. Or the fact that when she's upset, I want nothing more than to put the smile back on her face. And that's not normal friend behaviour. Oh who am I kidding? Well since I'm the only one hearing all of this I guess I'm fooling anybody. I think I might love her." He stopped then and glanced at Serena who was looking of the other window.

At the same time, unknown to each other they both thought "Well I guess it doesn't matter. There's no way whatever these feelings are that they're requited."


	5. Questioning feelings

Serena was still debating her feelings when she walked into her room. Without changing she collapsed against the double bed and felt the soft material underneath her. She felt confused, and placed the blame firmly on Blair. After all, in Serena's opinion, it was all Blaire's idea to go on this holiday, and send her and Nate to the most romantic restaurant in the city. So really it was entirely Blair's fault! Or at least that was what Serena would keep saying up until the point she believed it. No matter how romantic a restaurant was she knew that it could never create feelings altogether, there had to be something to work with.

She climbed into her bed and willed herself to go to sleep, but after two hours she decided this was useless. Sighing she decided to get a glass of water before retiring to her bed for the night. When she got into the main bit of their room she saw Nate was there too.

"Couldn't sleep?" She asked him, half scaring him as he hadn't know that she had entered the room.

"Yeah, must you do that? A little warning would be nice."

"But then I wouldn't have the privileged of seeing your bambi face."

"My bambi face?"

"You know you're shocked face! You must need to brush up on your Disney films." She laughed then suddenly got an idea "Hey since neither of us can sleep, how about a movie? I mean I don't see Blair or Chuck back tonight, and it would be nice to spend some time together before we have to fake hate other."

"That'd be nice." Nate smiled "I'll even be a gentleman and let you pick out a film."

"Awww, did you think it was a choice." Serena joked before squealing as Nate flung one of the soft silk cushions at her. "That was so not funny Archibald!"

"I disagree Van Der Woodsen." Nate replied nonchalantly, before being hit in the head with the same he had aimed at Serena mere seconds ago. Choosing to not got throw pillow tossing again, he started to run towards Serena, who caught on a little late but began running when she had. She ran into the bathroom, while she was shocked to be in there, when she had been planning on heading to her room, she knew she had to form a plan quickly. So doing the first thing she could think of she dived for the shower and pointed it towards the door just in time to see Nate there.

"One more move Archibald and you get soaked." She said in mock serious still holding onto the shower with a tight grip.

"Really?" Nate said and in one swift movement he walked towards the bath tub, then climbed in next to Serena and got hold of it as well. "Now you can't soak me without getting wet yourself." He seemed so triumphant in that moment that Serena decided there really was one thing to do, even if it didn't work out especially well for her. So she reached down and turned the cold tap on full blast and screamed along with Nate as the cold water washed over both of them. Somewhere in the back of both of their minds was their last water fight at that thanksgiving which seemed so long ago now.

"OK, I give up you win." Nate said turning off the cold tap, causing Serena to do a fake bow, which caused her to nearly fall on the slippery surface they, were both standing on. Instinctively Nate reached out for her. When she once again upright, Nate didn't let go of her hand, instead both were transfixed in staring into the other one's eyes. Nate's feelings got the better of him as he lowered his head to meet Serena's, who put her arms around his Neck, while Nate's arms sneaked around her waist pulling her closer, scared that if he let go, it would all have been a dream.


	6. Discussing feelings

Serena woke up the next morning slightly confused. The room she was in wasn't her own room, or her hotel room. It was similar which meant that she had to be in the same hotel, but who's confused her. At least it did until she saw the clothes scattered on the floor. Some of which was hers the others belonged unmistakably to Nate. As this realisation kicked in she began to remember last night. And she felt a smile cross her face, she couldn't bring herself to regret what had happened. Actually that's not true she kind of hated the fact that it took Blair to make her realise she had feelings for Nate.

Feelings, yes she realised they were there, she was just scared about what to do now. Grabbing the first piece of clothing she could find and headed into the living room, buttoning up the shirt. She stopped in her tracks when she got there. In the middle of the room, staring at her stood Nate and much to Serena's distain Chuck and Blair. Her eyes flew open as she realised she was wearing Nate's shirt in front of Chuck and Blair. The latter of who was now wearing a smug expression that just screamed "I told you so!"

Composing herself Serena stood up slightly taller.

"How was your night?" she asked praying her voice didn't wobble.

"It was fine." Blair answered "Yours?" her knowing smile made Serena avert her eyes, this wasn't fair, no-one seemed to be interrogating Nate!

"Good, can we talk in my room?" Serena said avoiding Nate's eyes, as she knew if she did there was a fair chance of her just melting on the floor.

"Sure." Blair answered "I guess we have a lot to talk about." Blair's eyes were now dancing with excitement, the way she always got when her plans worked out. And for Blair that was the only time she would stop in her plans when she got what she wanted. As soon as Serena had closed the door Blair turned around and began bombarding her with questions.

Serena just laughed.

"So was it my romantic dinner that set everything into motion?" Blair questioned actually pausing this time to let her friend speak.

"No." Serena said, OK so it was slightly that is what set them both off about thinking over their feelings, but Blair didn't need to know that. It would do her good, in Serena's opinion anyway, to think that her plan hadn't worked. "Actually we erm... well we had a water fight, and I nearly fell and Nate caught me, and well... when I looked up into his eyes..."

"OK, I think I get it." Blair cut across the end of Serena's statement, seeing her best friend go into a dreamlike state.

"Sorry." Serena apologised upon realising she had gone off into fairytale land where everything was fine and good, because this time she actually felt like this relationship could work out. As Serena and Blair were in the room talking over the more girly aspect of relationships Chuck and Nate were in the living room having a different but yet similar conversation.

"So did you tell her?" asked Chuck taking a sip of his drink.

"Tell her what?" asked Nate.

"That you've been in love her for the past couple of years, and that was Blair's main for setting everything up, as you made a point of telling everyone at Christmas after she left, and you were drunk." Chuck replied nonchalantly while sipping his drink.

Nate's face turned redder, as he had no recollection of this, however he had to admit that due to that statement being true, he most likely did.

"So you and Blair know..." Nate started and then Chuck cut him off.

"And most of the upper east side."

"OK, so you, Blair and apparently most of the upper east side know I love Serena. Which basically means everyone close to us knows, all except the one person who should?" Nate said.

Chick only gave a slight nod "And I suggest you tell her yourself before she finds out from someone else."

With this both boys lapsed into silence with Nate processing Chuck's comment before deciding on what he had to do. He had to tell Serena he loved her, the only question was how.


	7. Declarations of the loving kind

Serena sat out on the deck of the hotel next to the pool, with Blair in the lounger next to her own. She was soaking up the rays as it was their last days in Spain, meaning their last day of trying to get a tan. Serena placed her Gucci sunglasses on top of her golden hair and turned to her friend.

"B?"

"Yeah." Blair asked sitting up straighter and swing her legs around so she was sitting up facing her best friend.

"Do you think anything will change when we get back home?"

"You mean with you and Nate?"

Serena nodded "Everything seems perfect here... but it's just he's got college to go to, so do I, and there not really close to each other."

"Serena, things will work out if there meant to."

"But what if they're not meant to?" Serena asked approaching what she feared of.

"S, they are meant to be. Just trust me on that. There are just some things that you have to accept that I know about, and the fact that you and Nate are meant to be together is definitely one of them. Besides this works for all of us. I mean me and Chuck, you and Nate, if everything works out like they're meant to, we can be the non-judging breakfast club forever."

"And you're just that sure?" Serena said tilting to the side. "How do you know you're right?"

"I was right about you and Nate liking each other wasn't I?" Blair smiled. "Hey, I'm kind of warm, do you mind going to get me a bottle of water."

"Why can't you get it?" Serena asked.

"Please S?" Blair said lying back down.

"Fine." Serena sighed, and made her way in inside not noticing Chuck coming and sitting next to Blair.

"Did he get everything sorted?"

"Yeah." Chuck replied.

"Good. I will not have him mess up, what my lovely, amazingly thought out plan, made." Blair smirked.

Serena opened the door to their hotel room still inwardly cursing Blair. Muttering about Blair's inability to even fetch a bottle of water. Then she paused when she seen the room. There was rose petals scattered everywhere, as well as flowers in every other colour. It looked like a mini tropical paradise without the risk of dangerous insects. She was so entranced in the rainbow of colours lining the room she never even noticed Nate until he cleared his throat causing her to spin around.

"You did all this?" she gasped, staring at the single red rose in his hand, and the suit he was wearing which was far too formal for a day at the beach, like what they were meant to be doing.

"I know it's a little corny but..."

"I love it." She cut him off. "Though I have no idea how you managed to do it in a day." As Nate opened his mouth she continued. "No! I don't want to know, it would ruin it's affect, well a little, it's still one of the nicest things anyone's gave me."

"Well, I'm glad you like it." He smiled seeming nervous, something Serena picked up on.

"Are you OK?" She questioned.

"Fine." He said. He paused then and debated the best way to carry on, to tell her what she needed to know. "Did Blair tell you why she planned this trip."

Serena laughed "Didn't we already work that one out?"

"No, well yes but not entirely. It had something to do with something I said at the Christmas ball, the one you missed."

"What did you say." Serena prompted as Nate had lapsed into silence for a few moments. He turned to her then and you could how serious he was, as it was written in his eyes, eyes which made no effort to hide the emotion in them.

"I love you Serena Van Der Woodsen. I have for years now, I was always too scared to tell you. And the one time I did you shot me down. So I sat back and just let everyone else dictate my love life, and just went with the flow. But none of them ever worked out, because none of the people were you. The girl who, as cheesy as it sounds, does have my heart."

Serena sat staring at Nate all the time he was speaking, tears coming to her eyes.

"But I'm done with that." Nate said "I only want person, and I'm pretty sure I will always only want that one person. So Serena would you be my girlfriend?"

"I have one thing to say." She said working hard to keep the quiver from her voice. Taking this to be bad news Nate nodded solemnly.

"I love you too Nate. I didn't realise how much, and it's definitely more than I've ever loved anyone else. And nothing would make me happier than to be your girlfriend."

She smiled as Nate handed her the flower, and leaned over to kiss.

"Yes, I most definitely owe Blair." Thought Serena as she pulled away.


End file.
